Grimdark, Help!

[GrandMagnus]

Brothers! Sisters! I need some help!

 

I always loved the grimdark feeling of 40k, the dark and mid-battle tone of the setting, I think we all do. And one of the most grimdark chapters I know and who best represent the Imperium of the 41st millenium is the Iron Hands.

 

However, I didn't really want to paint IH, instead I started doing Eagle Warriors. But now I'm having a problem, their colour scheme is really cool but doesn't really shout 'Grimdark!', since it's white and blue it rather shouts 'Hope, Hapinness, good times!'. So, any suggestions on how to add grimdark to the marines?

 

I'm looking for anything and everything: converting, kitbashing, paint effects, anything you can throw at me. Tutorials or recommendations and ideas. Give me what you got!

 

 

 

And thank you :)

[Pearson73]

Perhaps heavy damage to the armour with rents and impact craters leaking or encrusted with blood will tone down the cheer somewhat, as well as implying the unending warfare of the setting as there has evidently been no time for cleaning, let alone medical aid or repairs?

 

The ruined and mangled corpses of foes and allies on bases could also scale up the darkness.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Pearson73

[Bryan Blaire]

Body bits, blood and other gore on the bases or on the armor, battle damage, etc. Add a couple of servo skulls flying around your units, or the Armorium Cherub for that flying baby servitor good-grossness. Darken the armor color/tint as if someone took some kind of "noir" lens to all your models. Grunge them up a bit with some Typhus Corrosion type paint that leaves some grit. Paint them up in a Blanche-esque style that folks feel embodies the "grimdark".

 

Conversely, you could simply paint them super-bright colors like the GrimDark 2nd Edition.

 

What is it that makes you think "grimdark" from the get-go?

Edited August 4, 2017 by Bryan Blaire

[dicebod]

Echoing other comments on this thread...you can do "noble" colors without straying too far from 40K's grit - FWs studio paint jobs on their HH World Eaters are a prime example of this!

[GrandMagnus]

Body bits, blood and other gore on the bases or on the armor, battle damage, etc. Add a couple of servo skulls flying around your units, or the Armorium Cherub for that flying baby servitor grossness. Darken the armor color/tint as if someone took some kind of "noir" lens to all your models. Grunge them up a bit with some Typhus Corrosion type paint that leaves some grit. Paint them up in a Blanche-Eddie style that folks feel embodies the "grimdark".

 

Conversely, you could simply paint them super-bright colors like the GrimDark 2nd Edition.

 

What is it that makes you think "grimdark" from the get-go?

An example of what I think off when I think grimdark:

 

 

I'm not a fan of the Blanche style myself, it gives almost a biblical feeling, but not the one I'm going for. I'm looking for grimdark with some realism to it.

 

But thanks for the ideas about blood, dust, battle damage, corpses, etc. I'm willing to hear more suggestions.

[Bryan Blaire]

Definitely think you need to dim your colors then, as if they are fighting under a darkened sky, whether it is from cloud cover, ash, smoke, etc. Painted whites should never be carried up beyond a light grey, blues need to start at the navy end of the spectrum. Your weapon effects should be the brightest things about your miniatures, practice OSL so your lascannon beans have lit up your Marines as their weapons fire has left, melts-guns brighten their emitters as they power up, those kinds of things.

 

Make sure your bases use a lot of debris, parts of bodies, and the like.

[Brother Dallo]

You know who are grimdark? The Iron Snakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In all seriousness, a muted palette and a good amount of weathering and a smattering of blood and guts may be what you're looking.

 

Dallo

[Kinstryfe]

Simply going off-white can definitely tone down the brightness. Alternately as people have said above, dirty em up a lil and it'll go a long way.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I'll second the muted colors idea and add that using a limited palette of colors contributes to the grimdark feel. I don't like really bright colors on marines and have even added grey paint to other colors to desaturate them and make them look more like realistic military colors. 

[GrandMagnus]

Darn it Dallo, I really need to get around to doing that ( I need a penance crusade... in painting) :P

 

I'll second the muted colors idea and add that using a limited palette of colors contributes to the grimdark feel. I don't like really bright colors on marines and have even added grey paint to other colors to desaturate them and make them look more like realistic military colors. 

 

So you mix grey with the regular colours to mute them. I've never heard about that before, could you post an example. Also which grey do you use? I'm really intrigued by this.

 

BTW, as I mentioned in the first post Iron Hands are one of the most grimdark chapters in my opinion but I didn't want to do them. And they I come across this:

 

 

Must not fall to temptation...

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Any of my Crimson Sons in the faded blue armor were done like that. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/2bAbm50.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/AXIHKNc.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/eFqrObW.jpg

 

I had several blue colors for the scheme, a dark navy blue for the original armor color and two lighter blue shades to work with for the fading, but each one had some grey added to it, which was Rainy Grey from the Reaper Master Series Paint line. 

[Brother Dallo]

Pfffft. It's only been 30 months, give or take. 

 

Seriously though, take your time. If you're not feeling it, no point in forcing yourself to paint a model you don't want to. 

 

Do you plan on reuploading/rehosting your old photos? I had a look at your Codex Magnus, but all the links are dead.

 

Looking forward to seeing what you produce for your Eagle Warriors. If you are looking for inspiration, why not take a look at the Forgeworld Novamarine colour plates? They're pretty muted and basically the same scheme as you're doing.

 

Dallo

[GrandMagnus]

Pfffft. It's only been 30 months, give or take. 

 

Seriously though, take your time. If you're not feeling it, no point in forcing yourself to paint a model you don't want to. 

 

Do you plan on reuploading/rehosting your old photos? I had a look at your Codex Magnus, but all the links are dead.

 

Looking forward to seeing what you produce for your Eagle Warriors. If you are looking for inspiration, why not take a look at the Forgeworld Novamarine colour plates? They're pretty muted and basically the same scheme as you're doing.

 

Dallo

Codex Magnus is quite dead, yeah. it's been so long that I didn't really want to revive it (foul sorcery and such ). But I've got another thread, Liber Magnus, hidden away in the first few pages of the WIP thread. I've got a few pics there if you are interested.

 

EDIT: Also, thanks, I'll take a look at FW Novamarines, maybe I'll get some ideas.

 

EDIT 2: Just checked my old thread, all the images where photobucket so they don't work anymore and I don't have any saved on my PC. 

Edited August 5, 2017 by GrandMagnus